Bane's Story
by Aria6
Summary: Things aren't so spiffy in an alternate universe... when Rock and Bane escape from it, they land in the real Mega Man universe? What awaits them? What chaos will Bane cause? Read and see. :) Oh, apologies to Exploitation Now for the ideas I swiped. ^^
1. Bass and Light? For now.

"Uff..." The black clad robot panted softly, sitting in the corner of the cave. There were marks in the stone, from where he'd smashed his head against it only moments before. The only sign of the act on him was a faint patina of stone dust on his helmet. "Go... away, old man!"  
  
I can't, Bass, or I would. Bass whimpered, putting his hands over his ears. It wasn't the voice he heard in his nightmares, these days. No, it was kinder, gentler, but very stern. And not any more pleased to be here than he was to have it. We must accept each other...  
  
"Accept... you? Hehehe... can you... accept me... old man? I killed... that pathetic... Roll..." Bass giggled, a high, mad, unhealthy sound. "And... I enjoyed it... you can't... want me, old man."  
  
...  
  
"Nothing to... say? I... hate you... hate you all..." Bass closed his eyes, gasping. It seemed he could never cool himself...  
  
No, I do not want you. Murderer. Why did you come, Bass? Why? To defeat Mega Man? Wily is dead.  
  
"Yes... dead... the bastard... rot in hell..." Bass closed his eyes. "I came... why? You want to... know? I'll... tell you... came... to die...!"  
  
...?  
  
"Hate you, hate him... greatest creation, destroy Mega Man... his best... tried so hard. Tried. Hah! Not... great then. Worthless. Never deserved... to live. Hate... all of you. Hate Wily... tried so hard..." Bass stopped for a moment, leaning his head against the wall. "Hate him... but without him... what am... I..."  
  
...  
  
"Why... do you pity... me... old man..." Bass could feel the sternness soften with it. Yes, there was pity there. "Monster... murderer... what I... am..."  
  
I think you never had much of a choice. Especially not in this case.  
  
"...Choice? No... never... must be... what do you mean? This case?"  
  
A phyrric program, meant to activate after Wily's death and send you to us in a mindless rage.  
  
"...Did he then. Bastard... rot in hell... hate him..." Bass shuddered, a spasm running through his body. "Don't... doubt... he'd do... that..."  
  
No. But we must want each other, Bass, or we will both die. We will tear your body apart under our conflict. Do you want to die?  
  
"No... but my mind... is all... that's mine..." Bass coughed, softly. "Your... afraid too... old man..."  
  
Yes. But one way or the other, this will happen. We will be one. The only question is, will we be sane?  
  
"Hate... having... no choice..." Bass pressed his face against the cold stone of the cave, trying to leech away the heat that seemed to burn at him. "It never... changes..." He slid down, curling into a fetal position as he slipped into a restless, painful slumber... 


	2. Becoming one, and finding a friend.

The process was painful. It had to be. The most terrifying thing possible, to both of them, to anyone. Loosing identity, loosing who and what they were.  
  
It was a sensation akin to madness, and at the worst of times, they both fought it. At the best, they could remember why, and struggled to find acceptance.  
  
But in the end, it was time that did the healing. Almost six months since he'd walled himself away, the new personality gained enough coherence to awaken, controlling the body.  
  
His eyes opened to mere slits, and he stretched his arms cautiously. He sat up, with a startling suddeness, and glanced around alertly.  
  
The cavern was a ruin. Chunks had been ripped out of the wall, as though someone with incredible strength had clawed at it. In one corner, the stone had melted, and there were chips and marks everywhere.  
  
He glanced down at his own armor, and nodded. The paint was badly scraped, with rock dust upon him. It was easy to figure out. And now, in this new, peaceful state, he knew why it had happened even if he couldn't remember it.  
  
But then he gasped, jerking as the chaos began to reassert itself. Twitching spasmodically, he collapsed against the wall again, sinking back into the morass from which he had ascended, briefly.  
  
But it was a start. The start grew slowly... in the end, it took almost six more months for the personalities to integrate. And the new personality took full shape. When it did, it found purpose in old memories...  
  
"Mmmm." He shifted his shoulders, settling the leather jacket better into place. He'd stolen it, along with several other clothes. Going around in his armor was just a bad idea these days. A silly putty like makeup disguised the purple slashes on his face. "What to call myself..." He pondered that idea as he walked.  
  
He wasn't Bass. He understood everything Bass had felt, and those memories could bring bittersweet tears, if he let them. But it wasn't him. He wasn't the one who'd tried so desperately to win approval, and have his efforts mocked when they were not enough. Not the one to develop such a terrible, burning hatred for almost everything... and take such delight in destruction and death.  
  
Nor was he Dr. Light, for that was the other set of memories. Dr. Light had lived a full life, full of love and family, but in a way, that hurt too. Bass had had none of that, and the contrast in the memories ignited a fire in the new personality. He wanted that. He wanted to live, to love, to be loved.  
  
And he was setting himself on the first step towards that now. Dr. Light had hoped that love would triumph over hate, and in truth, it had. If it hadn't, he wouldn't be here.  
  
He regarded the ruins of Dr. Lights lab with regret, and pain. Regret at what he had done, pain at destruction of his lab. He kicked a piece of debrise idly, then sighed.  
  
"Life sucks." He started picking through the rubble, and when he came to what he hoped was the right place, he began to dig.  
  
Dr. Light's sense of direction had always been good, and Bass' was next to flawless, so he'd actually been right. It still took two days to reach the collapsed basement, though. When he finally did...  
  
"Ah, yeeeees." A satisfied, catlike smile tugged on his lips as he brushed off the stasis pod. It was meant to withstand anything, and it had. He brushed away the last coating of dust from where the face would be, and gazed within.  
  
Mega Man was intact, healed. Without Dr. Lights work, though, his injuries had repaired themselves on their own. Treble's claws had left three scars on his face, his cheek. He suddenly trembled at a surge of loss, and had to close his eyes.  
  
"Oh, Treble..." He missed Treble desperately. But he finally managed to subdue the emotion, and the slight trembling through his psychie that accompanied it. That sort of thing, associated with only one half of his personality, could cause an attack... "Lets see..."  
  
It only took a moment to open the capsule, releasing the air within with a hiss. He reached inside, gently extracting Mega Man and settling him on the floor. It didn't take long for him to stir.  
  
His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was an unmistakable face... he'd removed the concealing silly putty from his cheeks, so there was no doubt at all...  
  
"BASS!" Mega Man jerked upright, but the robot sitting beside him placed a hand on his shoulder. And he wasn't dressed for combat at all, without armor...  
  
"No... not exactly. Let me explain first." He said softly, staring into Mega Man's confused face. "Easy, Rock. It's a long story..."  
  
Once he got Mega Man calmed down, he explained. The explanation went into most of the night.  
  
"...So after you killed Wily, Bass went to the lab to kill everyone, everything. He did kill Roll, and was demanding Dr. Light take him to you when the federal agents arrived." Mega Man looked sick, but not disbelieving. He remembered what had happened at Skull Fortress. Wily had been killed, Bass next to defeated... and then a group of human commandoes had tried to eliminate them both. "They fired on us and hit the experimental photon generator."  
  
"I don't understand what happened next. It exploded, and everyone was killed, except for Bass. But Dr. Lights mind was injected into his body. For the past year, we've been integrating, becoming one person. I'm both Bass, and your father, Dr. Light." Mega looked down. He believed it... this robot had already proved it by reminiscing about Mega Man's first activation... and only Dr. Light had been present for that.  
  
"...Who are you, though? You talk about Dr. Light and Bass in the third person." He gazed searchingly at his companion, who looked down.  
  
"I... don't know. I'm not either of them." He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't have a name for myself yet." Mega frowned, his forehead crinkling.  
  
"How about... Bane?" He suggested.  
  
"Bane..." He tested that out, trying the sound of it. "I like it. Okay. I'm Bane, and you're Rock now, not Mega Man."  
  
"What?" Mega... no, Rock, blinked in surprise. "Why?" Bane gave him a look, as if to say he was acting like a complete dullard.  
  
"They think you're dead, and its a lot better that way, don't you think? Only Light and a few others know your original name. You can stay with it." He explained patiently, in a manner that suddenly reminded Rock irresistably of Dr. Light.  
  
"Okay... Bane." He finally said, and Bane nodded, handing him a bag.  
  
"Here's some clothes for you..." 


	3. Must go... now. Despite the cost.

"But Bane, we-"  
  
"Shut up and haul the crates!" Bane grunted as he shoved another box into the back of his futuristic, high tech, big van. It was equipped with all the gadgetry he had invented, things like satellite tracking systems, police radio monitors, and more esoteric things. Rock was standing nearby, indescision on his face.  
  
"You're sure that they-"  
  
"Yes I'm sure! We're compromised, and if we don't move, we're toast. Come ON Mega, don't just stand there." Rock finally moved, helping haul the heavy boxes. Two light ones Bass deposited near the front door of the van.  
  
"What are those?" Rock asked, hoisting another box inside.  
  
"Books and munchies." Bane answered absently.  
  
"Are we going to wait for the copy to get back?" Rock asked, scrupulously not looking at Bane. A small shudder ran through Bane's shoulders.  
  
"...No. We gave him permission to go for the whole day. He won't be back until evening." Bane finally answered, and looked up to meet Rock's gaze. "We go now."  
  
"Bane... he'll get caught. We can't just leave him..." There was pain in Rock's face, voice.  
  
"Shut... up. Please." Bane shoved a box into the van with unnecessary force. "He's got the lifespan of a gnat, and if we stay or go looking for him, we will too. So please... just shut up."  
  
They packed the rest of the equipment in silence.  
  
hr  
  
The copy of Bane, only a month old, was sensing something. Something not right. Someone dogging his heels...  
  
He ducked into an alleyway, looking around searchingly, then kept moving-  
  
IBBANG!/I/B He was knocked back, feeling nothing for a second... then a searing, burning agony as he collapsed onto his back. With no armor to protect him, the bullet had entered his stomach and exited his back.  
  
"Hff..." He tried feebly to lift his head as two people came to stand over him, blocking what little light there was. He could see shiny black boots, suits... "Ung..."  
  
"Is that the one?"  
  
"No. It's just that copy." The voice sounded very quiet, very gentle.  
  
"Shall I get a repair team, sir?"  
  
"No. He's not worth it. Let me talk to him for a minute." Said that same quiet voice, and the copy blinked back tears. Then...  
  
"AIIEEE!!!" A boot slammed down on his hand with a violent crunch. The copy spasmed, gasping.  
  
"Where is he?" Said the voice, still so quiet, so calm. "Do you know where Bane is?"  
  
"N... no... just a... copy... hfff..." Then the foot slammed into his stomach. "AUGHHHHH!"  
  
"Do you know where he is going?" The calm voice asked again as the copy blinked back tears. But he couldn't hold them back, and they slid down his cheeks slowly, to the dirty ground.  
  
"No... please... please don't... hff..." The copy whimpered as the boot ground deep into his injured stomach. "Please..." Then he saw the person draw a gun.  
  
"I don't want to die, I don't want to die... please... no..." Another shot rang out, and the pleading stopped...  
  
hr  
  
Bane and Rock drove silently through a desert landscape. They were already two states away from the... incident... and hopefully they'd be able to stop soon for a rest.  
  
"I hope the copy is okay." Rock finally said.  
  
"If you mention him one more time, Rock, I swear to God I'm going to find the nearest cliff and drive us right off it." Bane said grimly, and Rock shot him a quick glance.  
  
"It bothers you, leaving him behind?" He finally asked.  
  
"Hell yes, it bothers me! He's only been alive a month. He has the life expectancy of a fruit fly now. Yes, yes, it bothers me. Now would you be quiet about it?" He burst out, shooting Rock a malevolent glare.  
  
"...." Rock looked at the two boxes in the front. "Mind if I open the books and munchies?"  
  
"No, go right ahead. What they're here for." Bass said, in a more natural tone. Rock quickly popped them open, getting out a book to read. The rest of the trip passed in something resembling peace.  
  
hr  
  
"It's done." Bane wiped a hand across his forehead. They were in a small, rental house on the beach. He'd rented it under a false name he'd never used before, and they hadn't been found yet. It was about to become a moot point.  
  
"It's... nice Bane." Rock said diplomatically. To him, it looked like some kind of odd teleporter. "But what's it for?" Bane grinned, wiping off his hands on a small towelette.  
  
"It's a dimensional phase teleporter." He said proudly, surveying his handiwork.  
  
"Wha?" Rock said, confused, and Bane laughed.  
  
"It creates "holes" in reality, leading to new realities. It's possible for something to be sent through those holes. As long as its not a ridiculously excessive mass, my calculations indicate the dimensional "fabric" won't suffer." At Rocks disbelieving look, he smiled. "Remember those probes we made that kept disappearing?"  
  
"Yes, and you said they were being shot down, you scum. So this is where they went." Rock eyed the setup askance. "Are you sure its safe?" Bane shrugged.  
  
"I've got two answers to that. The first is, no, not at all. The second is, it's safer than staying here and risking having the entire might of the world turned against us, don't you think?" Bass patted the console fondly. "I've rigged it with an explosive set to off a minute after we use it, too. No one will be following us anywhere. So, let's get on the panel and-"  
  
"Unh, Bane." Rock waited until Bane looked at him. "I realize your eager and everything, but shouldn't we get, oh, equipment, food, money, those gold bars you put our savings into, things like that?"  
  
"Oh..." Bane blinked as if the thought had never occured to him. "I suppose your right. How stupid of me." Rock couldn't help but smile.  
  
"It's times like this, you really remind me of Dr. Light." Not a lick of sense for practical matters. Bane was better, most of the time, since Bass had always liked to be prepared... but sometimes the other side cropped up... 


	4. How familiar.

Carrying bags, the two teenagers walked through the square. One was wearing a black leather jacket with red shoulders, the other a jacket of the exact same type, but with blue shoulders. The one in red wore black shades over his eyes, and carried his backpack slung over one shoulder in a way that would make any chiropracter wince. The other had his backpack on the way it was supposed to go, both straps over his shoulders, and gazed into the sky for a moment with crisp blue eyes. He looked a little younger than his friend, but the three scars on one cheek added years to his appearance.  
  
"Is it just me, Bane, or is this place awfully deserted?" He remarked, glancing around. A plaza like this ought to be filled with people. Instead, it was empty, and he could see discarded drinks and food, as if people had left in a hurry. Even an unmanned chip truck.  
  
"It's just you." Bane answered absently, making Rock snort.  
  
"No, I really think-" They were both interrupted by a loud explosion, and looked up to see a blue robot facing off with a black one...  
  
"Hmm, that looks familiar." Bane said conversationally as Rock struggled not to swallow his tongue.  
  
"Yeah, doesn't it." They both watched as the pair crashed into the side of an office building, and Rock winced. "I hope that was evacuated."  
  
"Quite." Bane watched curiously as he saw... himself, in a way, lift off with Mega Man clinging to him. They were both looking quite battered.  
  
"Should we do anything about this?" Rock finally asked, more than a little uncomfortable. Bane shook his head.  
  
"No. We don't know enough about this world. For all we know, this is some twisted mirror universe where Bass is the good guy." Rock made a tremendously disgusted face at the thought, which Bane pretended not to notice. "Either way, lets go before either of them get the bright idea of taking hostages."  
  
"Right..." The both walked off, ignoring the explosions and expletives behind them...  
  
hr  
  
"Ahh, this isn't bad, is it?" Bane was wearing only a swimsuit, sunbathing on the roof of his brand new, extra-large winebago. Rock was there as well, reading a book. "No one trying to hunt us... shoot us... kill us..."  
  
"No source of income at all..." Rock replied absently. Bane lifted his head just enough to glare at Rock.  
  
"Why do you have to bring reality into this?" He sighed, settling back down. "I know, I know. I've been trying to get feelers into the black market, but I'm starting to think there just isn't much of one around here. This world is so... well run. Everything I've seen and encountered makes this place look squeaky clean. The government seems... honest!" Bane's tone made it seem like a shocking, but delightful discovery. Rock smiled wryly.  
  
"Yes, it does. Unfortunately, we're both totally without degrees, or any kind of legal identification." Rock sighed. "Those documents you falsified won't stand up to serious investigation."  
  
"I know." Bane said drowsily. "But that's why I was thinking... I saw an ad in the newspaper. For Megacon."  
  
"For what?" Rock shot him a confused look, and Bane grinned slowly.  
  
"A big fair, holiday, convention, all in your honor." Rock's book fell from his numb hands.  
  
"It's not." He said in utter disbelief, and Bass laughed.  
  
"Oh, but it is, and we're going." He said smugly.  
  
"We're not!" Rock was completely aghast. The idea of a convention in his honor, even if it wasn't really him, was shocking enough... but the thought of GOING to it...  
  
"Ah, but we are. There should be lots of robotic things there, and I want a chance to meet Dr. Light. I have a plan..." Bane stared into the sky dreamily, and Rock closed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on.  
  
Bane's plans usually affected him that way. 


	5. Megacon and cruelty to black robots.

"This is great!" Bane glanced around in approval. There were Mega Man chibis, Mega Man balloons, Mega Man posters... "Wonderful!"  
  
"Embarrassing." Rock muttered, glancing around uneasily. "There was never anything like this in our world."  
  
"They never appreciated you." Bane said matter of factly. "All the effort you put into protecting them, and Dr. Light had to shield you from so many things..."  
  
"What?" Rock gazed at him in confusion, and Bane flipped a hand, dismissing it.  
  
"Just stuff. Look, Mega Man posters!" He grabbed Rock by the arm, almost dragging him to the booth manned by a pretty young girl. There were posters, alright... and far more. Tiny little Mega Man dolls, Proto Man dolls, even Roll, Rush and Beat dolls. Keychains, necklaces, even earrings. Plush chibi's. Bane picked up one of those, a big soft, goofy looking one. "Aren't these sweet!" Rock rubbed his forehead. Bane was in a playful mood, and Bane in a playful mood could mean big, big trouble. He could feel a migrane coming on.  
  
"Bane? I'll just go look at the displays for a while, if that's okay." He finally said. He didn't want to leave Bane alone, but he just didn't feel like having a good time at a place that was dedicated to him... but wasn't. The whole concept was making him feel vaguely ill. Bane looked a little disappointed, but gazed at him carefully for a moment, then nodded, giving his arm a squeeze before letting go.  
  
"Okay Rock. Meet you in the food area in about, oh, two hours?" Bane checked his watch. "Mega Man and Dr. Light should have just shown up then." Rock blinked, then swallowed heavily.  
  
"Ah, right." At least this wasn't a mirror dimension as Bane had originally suggested... but it would be hard anyway. Rock finally shook his head, walking away, as Bane gazed after him.  
  
Bane turned his attention back to the wares in the stall. Money meant little to him, it hadn't meant anything to Dr. Light except as fuel for his work, and Bass had just taken what he wanted. Bane spent it without much care for anything.  
  
He quickly purchased a Megachibi with a smile. He liked having something to cuddle at night, and while he'd have preferred Rock, that was always hard to explain in the morning. He picked up a poster of Mega Man and Bass together, and then hesitated over a Roll doll. He didn't want it for himself... but it might make a nice gift for Rock, to remind him of his sister. Or perhaps not. It might remind him of who had killed her.  
  
Bane finally decided to purchase it, and placed it in his pocket.  
  
Finally, he went to meet Rock at the food area. He was carrying a giant slurpee, in addition to his chibi and poster. Rock was sitting forlornly at a small table, staring blankly away.  
  
"Hey Rock!" Bane greeted him, grinning. Rock blinked, then turned to look at him.  
  
"Oh, hi Bane... umm... what are you drinking?" Bane took a deep drink of the virulent yellow-green slush.  
  
"Oh, a lemon-lime slurpee." He slurped up more of it. "Mmm, sour." Rock made a face.  
  
"Ewww. Did Dr. Light like those, or did Bass?" Rock asked with honest curiosity. Bane thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.  
  
"You know, I don't think either of them ever tried one. Your guess is as good as mine." He drank deeply again, then sighed. Rock tilted his head, an amused, ironic smile crossing his lips.  
  
"And how many have you had so far?" He asked with a small chuckle. Bane shrugged again with a sheepish smile.  
  
"This is my third." Bane grinned at Rock's pained expression. "Come on Rock, play along! Sugar rush." Rock smiled again, but shook his head.  
  
"Someone has to be level-headed, Bane, and you won't do it, so..." Rock shrugged. "Here I am." Bane shook his head in mock reproach.  
  
"Sometimes, Rock, you just have to have fun." Bane suddenly caught Rock's hand, holding it tightly, and his voice turned serious. "Don't wall yourself off, Rock. There's a time for work, and a time for play." Rock blinked, then looked away, faintly embarrassed.  
  
"I know... you know I know, we play VR games all the time... it's just..." Rock waved, at a loss for words to explain his reservations, and Bane finally nodded.  
  
"You don't like the idea of a place like this in your honor, even if its not you." Bane glanced around slowly. "It's healthier, though. Much healthier than our world." Rock looked at the scarred tabletop, unable to argue. "And... I need another slurpee." Bane frowned into his cup, which had been mysteriously and quickly emptied. "Hold onto my chibi and poster, would you?"  
  
"Sure... unh... poster?" Rock's expression said he probably figured he'd rather not know, but Bane grinned and unfurled it. It was a pose with Mega Man on one side, Bass on the other, in front of a rippling, computer generated background.  
  
"What do you think? Something for the den?" He asked innocently, and Rock actually laughed.  
  
"Give me that thing." Rock took the poster, rolled it up tightly, then gently bonked Bane over the head with it. Bane staggered as if he'd been hit by a pipe, grinning. "Go on, get your drink, dork. I'll be waiting." Bass laughed, and started off.  
  
As he got his drink refilled... to the awe of the attendant... Bane glanced around. There was the pavilion where Mega Man and Light would...  
  
"Already? Aren't they early?" He said to thin air. The two were already there, signing autographs and just generally chatting with their many fans. Bane pondered for a moment, sucking on his slurpee. Should he go back and get Rock first, or just join the line? But Rock wouldn't want to speak to himself, and Dr. Light.  
  
Bane swallowed a mouthful of ice, then walked over to join the line.  
  
~~...? Oh just a missle... missle?~~ Bane lifted his head at the descending whine just in time to see something crash into the pavilion. Almost immediately, he was buffetted by the terrified, fleeing crowd. But Bane was like a rock at the eye of the storm, unmoving and undisturbed. He watched with almost idle curiosity.  
  
Several of the Robot Masters had arrived, along with Bass. From the screams behind him, he suspected at least one Robot Master was back there harassing the crowd. He suddenly turned around with a frown. Would Rock try to do something about it? They hadn't brought their helmets, thinking it might be too tempting to use them.  
  
Bane's attention was quickly caught again by the sight of Mega Man squaring off against Bass. He couldn't hear the words from this distance, and walked closer, trying to hear. He was very curious.  
  
"... And no one gets hurt!" He caught the tail end of what Bass was saying, and almost sighed, taking another deep drink. It was all so... typical. And a lie. He'd so enjoyed causing death and destruction.  
  
He missed Mega Man's reply... it wasn't loud enough to carry... but heard Bass.  
  
"HA! And what about HIM?" To Bane's surprise, Bass leaped directly at him. Bane still could have reacted... if he'd dropped his slurpee. But he'd just paid three dollars for the iced glop, and felt Bass' arm around his throat instead, an arm cannon pointed directly at his head. He looked at Mega Man, seeing his horrified expression.  
  
"Let him go, Bass!" Mega Man called, and Bane did sigh now. It was all so... done. He'd lived through it all before, albiet on a different perspective. He didn't bother to struggle against Bass grip. Instead, he relaxed into it, leaning his head back so he could speak into Bass' ear.  
  
"Yes, just do everything Wily wants like a good little puppet..." He murmured softly. "So desperate for approval. So pathetically eager for the kind words he gave you once..."  
  
"Shut up." Bass snarled, attention still fixed on Mega Man... but it was wavering.  
  
"But for all you try, you fail, and he can blame you but never himself. You hate him so, for the slaps and kicks and most of all calling you a worthless little failure..." Bane's eyes glazed over slightly. He wasn't twisting the knife on purpose anymore... it was something more dangerous. And a fine trembling had started in Bass body.  
  
"Shut... up." The tone was deadly serious, and Bane had Bass attention... but he couldn't stop now. Memories had him in their grip.  
  
"And how long will it be before you're replaced? His greatest creation, only until the next little shining bauble comes along... has he already started... has he made a copy of Mega Man to destroy him? Has he made King yet, to take your place? Oh but there will be more and someday he won't bother to fix you, and maybe he'll set one of the others to kill you to prove they are better than you... You've thought of all this, but you can't escape can't choose can't--"  
  
"SHUT UP!!!" Mega Man started violently at Bass sudden scream, as he shoved the hostage violently forward... and Bane whirled like a snake, throwing the contents of his slurpee cup into Bass face.  
  
It was followed by a vicious snap kick to the groin. If Bane had been human, that would only have broken his foot. As it was, Bass doubled over in agony... and reeled from a wicked follow up punch to the chin.  
  
Common sense asserted itself through the battle madness for just long enough, and Bane suddenly sprinted away, passing by Mega Man.  
  
"All yours!" Explosions behind him indicated they were taking him up on that... Bane skidded to a stop as soon as he felt safe...  
  
And felt the chaos engendered by reaching that deeply into his Bass half start to reassert itself. At first, it was only a few spasms, but then twitches and jerks wracked his body as if he was having some strange, powerful seizure. He collapsed to his knees, fumbling helplessly at his clothing.  
  
"..nnngh... pills... must... have... gghhh..." He found the bottle, and tried to open it, but his hands were shaking too violently. He could only fumble at it desperately...  
  
"Oh, are you alright... oh my!" Bane gasped, hearing that gentle, familiar voice... too familiar. A new wave of twitches assaulted him as arms slid around him. "Are you alright?" He focused on the face... his own face... so near... no... not him...  
  
"Dr... Light...?" He managed to whisper, trembling violently. "My... pills... I need... three... pills..." He finally lost his grip on the bottle... but Dr. Light caught it and quickly unscrewed it, pressing the pills to his lips.  
  
It took three times before he managed to dry swallow them, but the effect was quick. In less than a minute, his tremors had eased, turning into smaller spasms, then disappearing entirely.  
  
Bane held his head in one hand, feeling the mental quivers running through his psychie slowly settle. He finally looked up, meeting Dr. Light's concerned gaze.  
  
"Sorry... that happens sometimes." He managed to say. After an attack, he always felt distant, floating... and had a vile headache. It made thinking difficult. "Dr. Light... I've been wanting to meet you."  
  
"Later..." Bane followed Dr. Lights worried gaze. The explosions had almost stopped, and...  
  
A sudden burst of swearing attracted their attention to one side. Rock walked out of the dust, practically carrying his own cloud of debrise with him. His jacket had been ripped badly in three places, one of the arms almost jerked off entirely. His hair was standing up in an untidy, frazzled looking mess, and he just generally looked very pissy. The effect was enhanced by the scars on his cheek, and the grisly burden he was dragging along by one foot.  
  
"I wondered if you would get involved." Bane commented as his gaze lingered on what was left of Elec-man. Rock just glared, at him or possibly the world, and threw Elec-man's corpse forward like a piece of trash. "And my, you are testy."  
  
"Oh shut up." Rock said grumpily, shooting Dr. Light a very quick look. The good Doctor was staring at Elec-man's condition in shock. Rock hadn't pulled any punches, and Bane had noticed a troubling trend towards greater violence since Rock had realized how terribly corrupt their government was. It looked like he'd ripped Elec-man apart by hand, with brutal violence.  
  
"No offense, Rock, but what did he do to you? You usually don't bitch slap people like that." Bane said, crossing his arms and regarding the mess with no real expression. Rock grumbled, then ran his hand through his hair with a sigh.  
  
"He was going to open fire on a teacher and a bunch of kids. I stopped him just in time... so, unh, what happened with you?" He gave Dr. Light another quick glance. The Doctor was gazing at them, openly analyzing them... not surprisingly, perhaps. Rock at least was certainly a robot, he knew that now... and he was carefully checking one of Bane's pills that had been dropped...  
  
"Oh, I just said some stuff to Bass." Bane said lightly. Rock's eyes widened, and he winced.  
  
"Said stuff? Oh Bane... on a scale of one to ten, how much is he going to want your head on a pike?" Rock asked plaintively, and Bane grinned.  
  
"A full ten, I'd say. Ah, I think they finished." There was a suspicious lack of explosions. The thought was borne out a moment later, when Mega Man skidded to a stop beside Dr. Light. Rock swallowed hard, and looked away.  
  
"Dr. Light! Are you okay?" Mega asked in concern. He was looking more the worse for wear, but not critically so. Dr. Light looked up from the green, gel pill he'd been examining.  
  
"Yes... yes, I'm fine." But the frown he turned on Bane and Rock was puzzled, and wary. "Who are you? And who made you?" Mega Man blinked, looking at the two of them. Rock and Bane suddenly looked at each other.  
  
They hadn't anticipated being unmasked as robots so quickly, and didn't really have anything prepared for it. Bane finally shrugged.  
  
"Beats me. As for who made buddy here, that'd be me." Bane clapped a hand to Rock's back, making him smile just a bit. "I just wanted to meet you... I've got some robot designs and crap I thought you might be able to help me with? It's my only talent, really, but damn hard without a degree or anything." Bane extended a diskette, which Dr. Light accepted cautiously. Wannabee's often tried to give him such things... but this was a special case.  
  
"Bane... can we go home now?" Rock asked, suddenly sounded very wearied. Bane shot him a glance. He wasn't looking too well...  
  
"Sure Rock. E-mail me, Dr. Light, please!" Bane slipped an arm around Rock's shoulder, helping him a bit. That Rock didn't pull away indicated there was a pretty fair injury, hidden somewhere... they could take care of it, back at the motorhome...  
  
Bane could feel the curious gazes of Mega Man and Dr. Light on their backs as they walked away, and he hoped Dr. Light would e-mail him. If not... he wasn't sure what he'd do... 


	6. Motorhome Madness... Weapon of Choice?

As it turned out, Dr. Light didn't e-mail him. Bane had forgotten an interesting fact... that he'd included his mailing adress. So when the visitors came, it was a bit of a shock.  
  
And it was a bit of a shock to the visitors, too. For one thing, the large Winebago was brand spanking new... and someone had gone to the trouble to plant rose bushes around it. It was easy to figure out who, since Rock was carefully planting some mums around the roses when they arrived. And Bane...  
  
Bane was on the roof of the Winebago again, but this time he had loudspeakers and was... not dancing... practice fighting to an anime song.... at least, Rock thought it was an anime song, it might be a game song or something weirder. All he knew for sure was that Bane liked it.  
  
"'Fore they getcha chainsmokin'... Word... 'Fore they getcha chainsmokin'... Word..." Dr. Light and Mega Man, in his street clothes, paused to watch the ariel display of agility as Bane whirled and struck out with his feet... "Ba-nanananana... Ba-nanananana.... Ba-nanananana... Ba- nanananana...."  
  
"BWEE-NOW-NA-NAA!!" Bane exploded into action, in a surprisingly graceful series of moves... "Don't be shocked by the tone of our voice... check out my new weapon... weapon of choice..."  
  
"Well, this is weird." Mega Man finally said. He was dressed in street clothes, and that sound attracted Rock's attention. He stood up and looked over...  
  
And froze, just for a moment. Dr. Light blinked, glancing between the two. It was amazing, how alike they looked... although Rock looked so much older...  
  
Rock?  
  
Dr. Light frowned, shaking his head. That had to be a coincidence.  
  
"Hello Rock." Dr. Light said warmly to the robot, who smiled weakly. "I just wanted to discuss that diskette your friend gave me. Very impressive. I was wondering if you could tell me, where did he get his training?" Rock glanced towards the roof, then decided not to disturb Bane. He was grinning, utterly caught up in his fun. Although that could have a bad side...  
  
"Listen to the sound of our voice... hah-ha... you can check it all out. It's the weapon of choice... yeah... You can roll with this, you can roll with that, you can roll with this, you can roll with that..." And Bane was doing rolls. Rock couldn't help but smile.  
  
"I don't know where he was trained... his memory is completely wacked." Rock shrugged, a bit uncomfortable. He didn't like lying. Doctor Light nodded slowly, gazing at him carefully.  
  
"And why does he need to take Zelisim?" Doctor Light asked, very, very seriously. Rock took a small breathe.  
  
Zelisim was a robotic drug, meant to sooth the equivalent of psychotic episodes. A newly forming neural net could sometimes become unstable, and Zelisim could ease over the worst of it.  
  
Needing it badly enough to carry a container of it was a bad, bad sign. It showed a deep instability.  
  
"He's... got some problems." Rock said evasively, glancing over at Mega Man. He seemed so... sympathetic... "It's nothing anyone can help with, just himself. He's okay as long as he has the pills."  
  
"Walk without rhythm and it won't attract the worm... we walk without rhythm and it won't attract the worm... if you walk without rhythm... HA... YOU WILL NEVER LEARN!" Mega Man and Dr. Light gazed up at the roof for a moment, and Rock supressed the urge to squirm. Bane was not putting on a great show right now.  
  
"He... he says he has two different sets of memories." Rock finally said. "It's sort of confusing, sometimes." That seemed to ease Dr. Lights suspicions a little. Not surprising, maybe... two differing, incompatable memories could cause exactly the sort of problems that would need Zelisim.  
  
"That must be awful." Mega Man said. "How did that happen?" Rock gazed at him, and Dr. Light had to supress a frown. The resemblance was simply--  
  
BCRASH!/B Rock started violently, whirling around, to see Bane looking a bit... flattened. He'd leaped right off the roof, and done a belly flop onto the hard, hard ground. Rock sighed, folding his arms.  
  
"I see someone forgot they can't fly. Again." He said conversationally. A groan answered him.  
  
"Owowow..." Bane slowly pushed himself up, nursing a few scrapes. He was wearing only a pair of loose, white pants, a bit dirty now. "It's... just that one scene, I always... unh?" Bane blinked as he spotted Dr. Light and Mega Man. "Rock! Why didn't you tell me they were here?"  
  
"You were a bit busy." He said dryly, and Bane gave him a dirty look.  
  
"I'm never that busy. Hello, Dr. Light." Bane greeted the Doctor, completely self-assured. Soon, the two of them were in a deep, deep technical discussion. To the outside observer, it was amazing how they seemed to know each other...  
  
Rock was bored by it, and caught Mega Man's eye.  
  
"Would you like to see our video games?" He asked quietly, not distracting the two. They could go do something more enjoyable... 


	7. Games, games and more games

Things moved quickly after that. It took only a little while, really, before Bane had what he wanted, provided by the royalties on certain inventions. Bane had come up with them in their homeworld, but had never been able to sell them there.  
  
What he'd wanted was an underground lab, a la high tech scientist decor. A version of mad scientist decor... the kind you'd expect laser guns and booby traps...  
  
There actually weren't any, and right now, all that could be heard was a soft beep-bop-beep noise. The main room, with its throne like chair, and big monitor that doubled as a huge TV was utterly deserted.  
  
In a small side room, though, there was a huge poofy couch, several comfortable chairs, a mid-sized TV and a video game console set up. Rock was sitting cross legged on the floor, tapping buttons intently. Bane was curled up in one of the chairs, watching the game idly.  
  
"How did stegosaurus mate?" Bane suddenly asked, for no discernable reason.  
  
"...." Rock shrugged, playing his game.  
  
"Because you'd think those spikes would really get in the way. Maybe they lay on their side?" He mused some more.  
  
"Bane, am I giving you the impression that I care?" Rock finally said. He was really trying to concentrate. Bane looked a little offended.  
  
"Gee, sorry." And they lapsed back into silence...  
  
hr  
  
In various places, around the world... but mostly on the internet...  
  
_Bane_ puts a bullet through Drew's head.  
  
"Sheeeeeeet!" The player Drew, a college student in UCLA exclaimed.  
  
_Bane_ puts a bullet through Io's head.  
  
"Son-of-a..." A pre-pubescent girl, sitting at her parents computer, groaned.  
  
_Bane_puts a bullet through Rock's head.  
  
And the young robot Rock glared at his screen for a moment.  
  
"Bane, would you stop sniping??" He snarled at his friend. Bane just giggled.  
  
"Hehehe!" Unreal Tournament 6 was a beautiful game... 


	8. A very lonely Christmas

"Bane..." Rock stared up, looking at something green that had been nailed over the door. "Let me test my understanding here. That's mistletoe, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah?" Bane looked at Rock questioningly, coming to stand beside him under the mistletoe.  
  
"And we don't have any girls in the lab."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"So who the hell is going to kiss under it?" He demanded... then turned to look at Bane, and the bright, innocent smile on his face. That made him pause for a long moment. "Only in my worst nightmares." And Rock stalked off.  
  
"Yeah... I was afraid you'd say that..." Bane sighed, giving the mistletoe a forlorn glance before following Rock...  
  
hr  
  
Christmas eve... a time to have fun, be with family, eat lots of turkey and stuffing and drink oneself silly...  
  
Bane slurped up the last of his spicy ramen, and looked sadly at the part he'd been retooling. He picked it up and started again, for a moment, before setting it back down.  
  
"It's not Rock's fault Roll invited him to stay with them for Christmas..." Bane muttered to himself, sitting down. "It's not his fault she likes him... and I wasn't invited..." They probably hadn't even thought about it. Rock wouldn't have wanted to ask, even assuming he wanted Bane there. Bane blinked, rubbing his eyes.  
  
Rock had been hesitent, when he had asked if Bane minded his leaving for Christmas. Bane was sort of proud of himself... he'd given a good imitation of cheerful indifference, and insisted he'd be fine on his own. And he would... eventually.  
  
"Fuck this." He tossed the part away, then got his backpack, money and ID. He'd be hitting the bars tonight.  
  
The first one he came to had a nice, handsome guy bartender who asked for ID. Bane sighed, pulling out his wallet.  
  
"Here... just pick whichever looks most convincing." There were six false ID's inside.  
  
"Unh... sir, I really can't..." The guy said, shaking his head. Bane's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Look... I'm a teenage, unstable super-genius robot, who's been playing violent video games all day, with all the latest weaponry, and get just a little unhappy when I can't spend the holidays in a drunken stupor. Now, give me a damn boilmaker, would you?" The bartender decided discretion was the better part of valor on this one, since Bane had transformed his arm into a cannon, and was pointing it at his head.  
  
"Coming right up, sir." Bane slipped onto a barstool, taking the drink with a sigh and downing it. After about a half hour of drinking...  
  
"So this is where I am after five years in my present life... most of the people I've ever known are dead, including my poor little copy... my best friend is off having fun with his girlfriends family... I have to take drugs just to stay sane... and I'm so pathetically useless I can't even cook myself up a Christmas dinner to distract myself." Bane drained his latest drink. "So I'm spending Christmas Eve forcing a bartender to serve me drinks at gunpoint to forget how pathetic my life really is." He thumped his head down on the bar. "I hate the holidays, I really do."  
  
"Tell me..." The bartender said as he filled up another drink. "Have you ever tried to get into the holiday spirit?"  
  
"Sure, lots." Bane said despondently. "It works pretty well when Rock's around..." He lifted his backpack up, and pulled a small, obolong object out. It was papered in beautiful Christmas wrappings. "This's for him. Guess I'll have to give it to him when he gets back. It's a book he wanted..." Bane knew he wanted it. Rock had admired it, but decided he couldn't afford it until it hit softcover. "Just this year... all alone... y'know?"  
  
"Yeah, if I had a family, I wouldn't be in today even for stat pay. Another boilmaker?" The bartender said, taking the glass. Bane sniffed and nodded.  
  
"Please."  
  
An hour later...  
  
"YOO HOO! Any pedophiles and pervs in the audience! Young, nubile guy willing to do ANYTHING!" Bane was standing on his stool, having reached a stage of drunkenness that had no shame. "C'mon, no takers? Some pedophile's'd give their SOULS for a drunken, innocent young guy willing to do... anything... just not to go home alone again another Christmas in that big, cold lab..." Tears started sliding down Bane's cheeks. "That damn, empty life... WHAT? No takers?!?" Bane wavered on the barstool. "Please?"  
  
Then he let himself plop back down onto the stool, tears running freely down his cheeks. There was a soft tink behind him.  
  
"Here... an eggnog, on the house. Then I'll call you a cab. Okay?" The bartender said, looking almost depressed himself, and Bane sniffled again.  
  
"Okay..."  
  
hr  
  
Back at the bat cave... (so to speak)  
  
"Hehehe... I'll teach those horny ecchi perverts for not taking advantage of me when they had the chance..." Bane finished connecting the cables of a webcam. "Hehehe! Suckers..." He'd already done the website programming, set up the subliminal feed... and consumed a whole bottle of vodka. "Ah, there we go."  
  
With the webcam set up, he took a seat on the sofa, lounging around langorously as he kept drinking. For this kind of website, he didn't need to do much else... especially since he was only wearing silky, black harem pants that showed off his chest to very good advantage, and didn't do much to conceal his legs, either.  
  
"Hahaha!" Bane giggled, taking another deep drink. "Enjoy the instructions, suckers." 


	9. ...And the aftermath

Elsewhere, at exactly the same time...  
  
"I was glad you could come, Rock." Roll said with a warm smile, that Rock returned. She was his sister, of course... but only after a fashion, and it was easy to ignore. He felt so... so... Rock struggled for a word. He felt like he belonged here. Even with another version of himself, it was easy to joke with Roll, talk to Dr. Light.  
  
And apparently, they felt the same way, since they'd invited him over. He suddenly frowned just a little in worry.  
  
He hadn't wanted to suggest they invite Bane, too, but he worried. This was the first time they'd been apart for Christmas, and usually, they had gone to a very expensive restaurant, then spent the night listening to Christmas carols, having fun with the presents they'd gotten each other and from "Santa", and drunk eggnog. Basically the same thing he was doing here.  
  
He suddenly bit his lip. Bane had cheerfully said it was fine, he should go, but now that he thought back on it, that cheer hadn't been quite... genuine.  
  
"Roll... is there a computer anywhere? I'd like to check Bane's website." He finally said, anxiously. Roll looked up from where she was cuddled beside him.  
  
"What? Why?" She asked, confused. Rock smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Oh, I just want to see if he's added anything..." He glanced over to Dr. Light and Mega Man. They were talking and laughing, Mega Man examining the handbook for a remote control car. Roll frowned just a little, but nodded.  
  
"Sure, right over here..." Rock accessed the website as soon as he could, and breathed a small sigh of relief. It looked just the same.  
  
"Unh?" He was on the website account... and there were signs that a new website, from the same account, had been set up. "He's done something..." He quickly entered the new website. "GAH!"  
  
The video feed was all too clear. Bane was stripped down to the tasteful undies, and stretched out on the couch in a state of extreme drunkeness. There was no sound feed, but Rock thought that was probably a good thing, as Bane stretched in what could only be a deliberate pose.  
  
"Oh my." Roll said breathlessly as she stared, eyes wide. Rock finally got together enough of his concentration to slap a hand over her eyes.  
  
"That... that... that idiot! I'll be just fine, he says. No, I won't be lonely at all..." Working furiously, Rock deleted the new website. But not before he noticed the subliminal messages. "Buy Bre-X stocks and N'Sync CD's?!? Bane!"  
  
"Oh... oh my... he doesn't do that often, does he?" Roll said weakly as Rock dropped his hand. The image was imprinted in her memory. It actually wasn't a bad image at all, when she thought about it...  
  
"No, he's drunk. Why doesn't he ever say anything to me?" Rock fumed. But he could guess why. Bane didn't want to be a burden, didn't want to voice his dependance... but Rock was painfully aware that Bane did depend on him for most of his stability. It was often difficult, and Rock knew he was sometimes a little too short with Bane because of it.  
  
"Should you go home?" Roll said, a touch sadly. She didn't want him to leave so soon. Rock hesitated.  
  
"...No. He's too drunk to have a rational conversation, and he probably won't check to see if his website is working. I'll go back in the morning." For now, he'd just have some more eggnog and enjoy the time with Roll... how he had missed her...  
  
hr  
  
When Rock finally did arrive back at the underground lab, the couch was deserted. That surprised him a little. He'd expected to find Bane passed out on it. Instead, there was just detritus from last night, in the form of bottles and some black, filmy pants.  
  
Rock picked his way through that, going to peer into Bane's bedroom. What he could see there made him sigh.  
  
Bane was lying, nude, half covered by blankets. It looked like he had just dragged himself onto the bed, and made some effort to pull them up, but had been too drunk. Rock shook his head, weary and angry, and walked in.  
  
His eye was caught by a soft, blue thing, and he blinked in surprise. Bane was cuddling that Megachibi he'd bought at the Megacon. An unwilling smile tugged Rock's lips, and he reached down to straighten the blanket. He was startled when his hand touched something cool, hard, rectangular.  
  
Rock fished it out. A picture. He lifted it up, staring at it.  
  
It was a posed picture, but a happy scene... Rush, Tango and Beat in the foreground, himself and Roll kneeling behind them... Eddie, Dr. Light and Proto man in the back. Everyone happy, everyone smiling. A corner of the picture was burned, torn, but hadn't obscured anything.  
  
Rock felt his eyes burn. It was so hard to remember Dr. Light was inside Bane... but he was. And he'd lost more than anyone that day, when Bass had destroyed so much and the government goons had destroyed the rest. And then he'd become one with Bass to make Bane... but the pain still survived.  
  
"I'm sorry, Bane." He whispered, and gently, tenderly tucked him in. Bane just sighed, cuddling the Megachibi closer, looking so relaxed asleep.... Rock got out some asprin, and set them on the nightstand beside him with a glass of water.  
  
"I need to take better care of him." Rock said to himself, just a bit sadly. Bane needed care...  
  
hr  
  
Elsewhere, a little later...  
  
"What issss with all the Cssse-D'ssss?" Snake man asked, lifting one up. "Why N'Ssssssync? And why all the Bre-Xssss ssssstock?" Piles of papers everywhere....  
  
"I don't know, and I don't want to know." Elec-man said mournfully, regarding the CD's.  
  
"If thissss isss part of a new plot to take over the world, it issss truly evil."  
  
"You said it." 


	10. The Root of All Evil

"Hmm, this is pretty cool..." Bane mused, putting together his program. "Hoo yah baby, you'll help relieve the world from... hunh?" A warning light lit up on his console. "Hmmm." Bane sat back a bit in his chair, twisting his shoulders to relieve a cramp. "Dare I even ask?" He touched a button...  
  
The montors flipped into security mode, showing him scenes of all the various cameras. Bane had decided to put in security, along with a whole series of booby traps. That alarm showed one of them had been sprung, and Bane had a good notion of which before he even looked at the telltales. He was right.  
  
He pulled up camera three and put it on the main screen. A sleek, black robot was caught in an energy noose, dangling from the ceiling and fighting to free himself. Not that that was really possible, since the noose was very advanced... tendrils reached down and coiled along his body, pinning his arms to his sides. It was as though Bane had netted a very big fish. The thought made him smile.  
  
He admired the view for a moment, then switched on the microphone.  
  
"Bass, Bass! That is just pathetic." He chided gently, and the writhing stopped for a moment.  
  
"You." The black cobra's voice was understandably choked, given that all his weight was being supported by his neck. Bane touched a key, letting the noose drop down far enough so Bass could stand. No real reason to torture him unnecessarily.  
  
"Me, of course. Who you were looking for, I would imagine. Not that that's very bright, but then, Wily did always show a lamentable lack of good sense. Or did you come for yourself? That's even worse." Bass made a very rude suggestion about Bane's parentage and sexual orientation. Bane couldn't help but smile. "Now, be nice. You're at my mercy. A single button..." Bass stilled, glaring furiously. Bane rested his chin in one hand, watching the black robot with a sigh.  
  
There was nothing he could say, really. Bass had free will to a certain degree, but not enough, not while Wily was alive. Nothing he could say would make a difference. The most intelligent thing to do would be to press that button and rid the world of a menace.  
  
But how could he do that? That was HIM standing there... well, sort of... and maybe someday...  
  
Bane pressed a few buttons. The entrance further into the lab sealed itself... and the noose disappeared entirely.  
  
"Well, whatever. If Wily sent you, tell him to send someone else. If you came yourself... give it up. I know you more intimately than anyone else on this planet, and nothing you can do will surprise me." Bane pointed towards the exit. "Now get going." Bass spared him one last venomous glare before leaving.  
  
"Mmmm." Bane shook his head slowly, going back to his project. Pretty soon, he was back into that. Doing such evil was always fascinating... although whether or not you thought it was evil depended on the operating system you were running... "Hehehe!"  
  
hr  
  
Bane watched the news in utter contentment. He knew what story was coming next...  
  
"Hey Bane. Whatcha watching?" Rock walked in, looking rather pleased with himself. He'd just finished a date with Roll. Bane turned his head to grin at him.  
  
"Oh, just a news program on my latest invention." He said innocently. Rock smiled, leaning over his shoulder to watch the program.  
  
"Really? Which one? I-" He paused as the announcer started up.  
  
"New today... latest reports on the strange virus program sweeping the world. This program, known as "V-igor" was disguised as a video download of Angela Milatsu pornography. When run, this program installs itself onto any word processing document..." A moment later, a computer screen popped up.  
  
The scene it showed was normal enough... Microsoft Word... until the person at the computer typed in "Dear sir"... then...  
  
A paperclip popped up. But it wasn't the usual, annoying paper clip... It was a quantum step beyond that. This paperclip looked like someone had twisted it, used it to pick their teeth, then open a car door, and finally tried to wrestle it back into place. Little beady eyes and an evil grin stared out.  
  
"You want help writing a dirty letter, meeeester?" It asked, sounding the the perfect companion to a truly demented mad scientist. The picture switched back to the announcer.  
  
"This annoying program cannot be shut off, and is very difficult to remove..." Bane had dissolved into helpless giggling as Rock watched in horrified fascination.  
  
"Gawd, I am so GOOD! Have I done my evil for today, or what?" He laughed. Rock blinked, feeling numb.  
  
"I'd say so..."  
  
hr  
  
In Skull Fortress...  
  
A loud explosion of swearing rocked the fortress, sending metools running for their lives and catapulting Bass out of Wily's inner sanctum. He snarled, getting up and walking away.  
  
"What's wrong?" Quick Man asked curiously, wondering what the upset was. Bass grunted.  
  
"He caught that stupid paperclip virus. You'd think he'd learn." Not to take the poisoned candy. But apparently, lust for porno triumphed over good sense... "Don't talk to him about it."  
  
"I won't." Quick Man scuttled off, not intending to get in the way of an enraged madman...  
  
hr  
  
Bane was hard at work on his next project, this one more legitimate, when the second alarm went off. He sighed, putting a part aside. He'd been expecting it, and knew which trap had been triggered.  
  
He thumbed the correct nob, and looked at a black robot clinging desperately to a ledge, wincing as he took low powered hits from some cannily conceiled laser guns. The wings on his back were smoking... the first hits hadn't been low powered. Bane had programmed them carefully. He shook his head and turned on the intercom.  
  
"Bass, Bass. While I appreciate persistance, this is getting idiotic." He chided his duplicate gently, and Bass head snapped up, towards the sound. "Isn't Wily getting tired of repairing you yet? He will someday." A snarled curse answered him.  
  
Bass was just a little stressed out. The pit trap he'd narrowly avoided going into sizzled at the bottom like acid. He didn't want to test out if it actually was acid. That left him clutching the wall, trying not to die.  
  
Bane regarded his quandry for a moment, grinning. "What am I supposed to do with you?" Bass suggestion was anatomically improbable... but rather attractive, in a way.. "I only wish. No, I think..." The pit closed... but before Bass could move, he was hit by a dozen rays... all set on stun, and collapsed in a heap.  
  
"Hey, Rock?" Bane called towards the back of the lab. "Could you take out the trash, please?"  
  
"What, again? Doesn't he learn?" Rock's voice came, irritated.  
  
"Apparently not. Please?" Bane asked with a grin.  
  
"Oh, okay..." 


End file.
